Home again and still in love
by Loraena
Summary: over a hundred years ago the then Santa had a daughter, who Cupid shot one day, and she fell in love with the only thing around, an elf and when her dad was no longer Santa she had to leave it all behind. And now she's back. what'll happen? Bernard/OC
1. Prologue: Leaving Home

**Prologue**

The year is 1902 and the Santa Clause of the time had just passed away, he had made his last delivery of the night and for the first time ever the sleigh returned with only the suit and no man wearing it. Bernard rushed to the sleigh.

"Oh no…what happened? Where is Santa? Please tell me he's just left without the suit." He said to the reindeer. They all looked back at him and hung their heads. "He's not – "

"Daddy!" a teenage-looking girl yelled happily running down the stairs to the sleigh. "Dad? Bernard where's my dad?"

"Um…I – I don't know."

"You don't know? Is that his suit?"

"Yes."

"There's a suit but no Santa?" she asked and then walked to the lead reindeer. "Dasher, where is he?"

Dasher told her he was gone.

"Gone? Gone how?"… "What do you mean he disappeared?"… "Dasher, this isn't funny, where is he?"

"Ella – "

"No, he can't be gone."

"Ella if he disappeared he's gone, there's nothing we can do about it."

"I refuse to believe that my father is gone Bernard. Get E.L.F.S. out here, now, find him."

"Ella – "

"Find him!" she screamed at him in tears.

"What's going on?" a woman asked walking down the stairs in her night robe. "Ella, honey, what's wrong? Bernard?"

"We uh…we have a problem."

"What kind of problem? Wait, where's Michael?"

"That's the problem, we don't know."

"Why are you stalling?" Ella asked Bernard.

"Ella, please, calm down."

"Calm down? My father could be out there somewhere!"

"He's not! He's gone!"

She looked at him shocked, she couldn't believe he was saying this. She ran up the stairs crying past her mother. Bernard closed his eyes upset with himself for yelling at her like that.

"Bernard?"

"Mrs. Clause?"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Dasher said it himself, he disappeared."

She nodded gasping as she started to cry. Then she went back upstairs.

"Judy."

"Yes?"

"Take the suit and get it cleaned." Bernard told her and she took it from the sleigh. "Curtis."

"Yeah?"

"Unhook the reindeer, and somebody take care of the sleigh." He said and then went upstairs. He knocked on the door to Santa's room. "Mrs. Clause?"

"Come on in Bernard." She said wiping her nose and eyes with her handkerchief.

"I'm sorry."

"It's ok, what do you need?"

"This has never happened before, the sleigh has never returned without a Santa, even a new one."

"So what do you suggest we do?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe you can call a meeting with the council see if they'll know what to do."

"Does the handbook say anything about this kind of situation?"

"That would be a question for Curtis, he's the only one that follows it by the letter."

"Ok, well I guess I could call a meeting tomorrow." She said standing up. "I should go check on Ella."

"Yeah."

"Just go on as usual for now."

"Yes Ma'am." Bernard said and left. She went to see her daughter. She knocked on her door.

"Go away."

"Sweetheart it's me."

No answer so she walked in.

"Sweetheart."

"It's not true right? He cant really be gone."

"Honey, it's a miracle he's lasted this long, even Bernard said no other Santa lasted this long."

"But, what happened, I don't understand."

"No one does."

"So, now there's going to be a new Santa?"

"Yes."

"We have to leave?"

"Oh honey."

"I don't want to leave. I was born here, I belong here."

"You belong with us, and if your father isn't Santa anymore we don't belong here."

"Yes we do."

"Ella, please, get some sleep, we'll talk tomorrow."

She laid down and buried her face in the pillow crying.

In the morning Ella didn't come out, she stayed in bed all day. Meanwhile her brother and Sister, Noah and Noelle, were helping out the elves, and their mother was in an emergency meeting with the council.

"I called this emergency meeting because last night the sleigh came back without my husband, I have been informed by the reindeer that he disappeared leaving only the suit."

"Michael's gone?" Mother Nature asked surprised.

"Yes." She whispered showing how upset she was.

"Oh Crystal, I'm so sorry."

"We'll be ok. However, the suit returned with no wearer, we don't have a new Santa."

"That is a problem." Tooth Fairy said.

"And we don't know what to do."

"Well, we will have to find a new Santa, for now the elves can carry on as usual. We have some time."

"How much longer can we stay here?"

"Until we find a new Santa."

"Ok, thank you."

It took only a couple more days, they decided to just send Dasher down with the suit to someone they knew was a good man, he wasn't married and had no kids. He found the suit, put it on and Prancer took him back to the pole.

It was that night that the family left. The other reindeer took the sleigh.

"Why do we have to leave?" Ella asked Bernard as the rest of her family got ready.

"You know why."

"I don't want to leave, what if they left and I stayed?"

"Ella, you have to go, you have no reason to stay anymore.

"No I don't, just because my father is gone doesn't mean I have no reason to be here."

"Ella." Her mother called.

She looked down at the necklace she had, it looked like a frosted snowflake, it was gorgeous, and when the sunlight hit it it looked like the northern lights in the middle.

"Go Ella, go with your family."

She looked back up at him and sucked it in sniffling. She took the necklace off and placed it in his hand but didn't take her hand away. "If I leave, I'm never coming back."

"Ella, you _have_ to go with your family, it's where you belong."

She nodded and removed her hand then walked away to the sleigh and climbed in. he looked down at the necklace in his hand and closed his hand around it then looked up at the sleigh faking a grin as they flew away waving at everybody. Later that night the sleigh returned around the time Prancer did with the new Santa.


	2. Chapter 1: Return Home

**Chapter 1: Return home**

The day after Christmas Bernard returned to the North Pole. Everyone wanted to know where he had went during his time away and why he left without telling anybody. But when he came back and found out about the incident with Jack Frost.

"Curtis what were you doing? How did you not know he was tricking you into telling him about the snow globes?"

"I don't know."

"Ugh, that's what happens when I leave, and everyone wonders why I don't take breaks."

"So where did you go?"

"Nowhere."

"You obviously went somewhere."

"Don't worry about it, I'm back and I won't do that again, who knows what'll happen."

Curtis gave him a dirty look. Bernard ignored it and went back to Santa's office.

"Bernard, you're back."

"Yeah, sorry I left like that."

"So where'd you go?" Carol asked him.

"Nowhere important."

"Nothing to tell us?" Santa asked him.

"Not really." He said.

"O…k." Santa said slowly.

"Anyway I just wanted you to see that I was back and I'm not leaving again."

"It wasn't just Curtis's fault, he tricked me too."

"Ok, ok."

"I take it you want to get to work again?" Scott asked him knowing him.

"Yeah."

"Ok, it's good to have you back."

He just grinned and walked out.

All day they noticed Bernard wasn't acting the same, he was down, he kept himself busy like usual but it was a little more so, like he was staying busy so his mind wouldn't wander.

"Bernard." Scott called to him as he approached him.

"Santa?"

"Let's talk."

"Ok."

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah why?"

"It's just you seem…different. I mean you always work hard but this is different."

"I'm fine, it's just I was gone so I'm making up for it."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure." He said convincingly.

"Ok."

The next day he was still acting the same way.

"I'm worried about Bernard." Carol said as she sat there with Buddy.

"He said he's fine."

"Maybe he lied."

"He sounded convincing to me."

"Scott – " she stopped when Bernard walked in with his suit.

"Meeting remember?" Bernard said.

"Oh, right." He said as Bernard slipped the jacket on him. Carol wanted to say something but didn't. Bernard helped him get ready and then left so the council could come in.

"Santa? Is something wrong?" Mother Nature asked him, he was sitting in his chair like he was lost in thought.

He sighed. "It's Bernard."

"Bernard? Nothing's ever wrong with him, other than he works too hard."

"Well now he's working even harder. And he has me worried."

"Why?"

"Well as you know he's been gone for a while, during the Jack Frost dilemma and now that he's back he refuses to talk about where he went and why he left. He's not talking much about anything actually."

"Hm." Mother Nature said curious. They all looked around at each other, no one knew.

"Anyway, that's all, let's get back to this."

"Ok, then."

They got back to business and went through their meeting. But half way through it they all heard cheering and a lot of happy elves downstairs.

"What is going on down there?" Scott said and got up. He headed to the workshop and met Bernard. "What's going on?"

"I don't know I was in the kitchen."

They rushed there and everyone scrambled to the middle, but they couldn't really see who or what they were trying to get to.

"Ok, ok, stop!" a woman said loudly, she was the one they were trying to get to. "I'm happy to see all of you too but this is too much, back up, please." She told them.

They all backed up and she breathed deeply now that she could again. "Thank you."

They still couldn't see who it was.

"Hey! What's going on?" Scott asked.

A whole bunch of people started saying, "It's Ella" and "Ella's here".

"Ella? Who's Ella?" Scott asked. Bernard froze and then walked off, when Scott turned he was gone. And he returned to the meeting. "Ok, apparently someone's here."

"Who?"

"Ella somebody."

"Ella?" Mother Nature asked. "Could it be?"

"What?"

"Ella Amnore."

"Ok but who is she?"

"She is the daughter of the old Santa Clauses."

"Ah, the one before me?"

"No."

"Anyone before that she'd have to be…old."

"She is, but she doesn't look it."

"Ok how old?"

"Um…well, Michael was Santa in the 1800s."

"1800s?"

"Yes."

"How is she still alive?"

"She was born here at the North Pole, the spirit of Christmas keeps her alive, just like the elves and the pole."

"Wow."

Everyone was looking at cupid who tried to ignore it.

"What?" Scott asked noticing. "Cupid?"

"I might know what's bothering Bernard."

Scott waited for an explanation.


	3. Chapter 2: Cupid Did It

**Chapter 2: Cupid did it**

Meanwhile in the workshop Ella was trying to calm everyone down.

"Ok, guys I'm really flattered I am, and I missed you all, but I'm not here for just a visit…Curtis! (she shouted as she saw him in the crowd)"

Curtis jumped at being yelled at and he rushed over. "Ella? What are you doing here?"

"Long story, where is he?"

"Who? Santa?"

"No…" she said knowing he knew who she was talking about.

"Bernard?"

She pressed her lips together in a little grin and nodded once.

"He's uh, where did he go?"

"Find him Curtis."

"Right." He rushed off in search of Bernard.

He found him outside. "Bernard! I found you, come on."

"Where?"

"Ella's here." He said all excited.

"I got that Curtis thanks."

"Aren't you excited? It's Ella, we haven't seen her in over a hundred years."

"I know."

"Then come on."

"No, I'm busy."

"But she sent me to get you."

He closed his eyes and stopped what he was doing. "She did?"

"Yes."

He sighed and turned and headed towards the workshop with Curtis right behind him.

Ella convinced everybody to get back to work and was waiting on the steps outside. Bernard stopped once he saw her and she saw him. she got up and walked down the steps towards him. Curtis excused himself.

"Hi." She said.

"Hi."

"I don't even know where to start."

"How did you get here?"

"I do know the way."

"I know but how did you _get_ here?"

"You hung the necklace on my tree remember?"

"How do you know I did it?"

"Oh please, only you would, it's your necklace, you gave it to me when I was a kid, only you would go to my house just to give it back."

He didn't say anything.

"Why? Why would you do that?"

"You were dying." He said slowly to emphasize his point.

"And that gives you the right to come to my house just to give me a necklace that I didn't want back?"

"This is why you came all the way here?"

"Yes, because I don't understand."

"I told you, you were dying. You lost all faith in Christmas, which is the only thing keeping you alive, just like us."

"I wonder why. I lost my faith nad love for Christmas a long time ago, it just took until now for it to catch up to me. and then you show up to give me this with a note that says remember, you couldn't have picked anything else to write? I don't want to remember, that's why I gave it back. I swore I'd never come back and I'd never look back, try to move on like everyone wanted me to do."

"Ella, I'm sorry, I am, I just – "

* * *

Back in the meeting Cupid finally came clean.

"Alright Cupid, what is it?"

"I did it."

"Did what?"

"I shot Ella."

"Ok, not following."

"Do you see any mortals up here?"

"No."

"Exactly, so she fell in love with the only thing around, an elf."

"Let me guess, Bernard?"

Everyone nodded.

"You all knew?"

"Of course we did, he told everybody the day it happened." said Mother Nature.

"He kind of panicked actually." Tooth fairy said.

"Why?"

"Well, the day it happened we were in a meeting like we are now, and he showed up panicking, and told Santa he shot his daughter." Father Time told him.

"How'd he take it?"

"Oh he took it well. Even after he realized who it was she fell in love with."

"What happened?"

"Well, when her father died and was no longer Santa they had to leave the North Pole, which tore them apart." Mother Nature told him.

"I hate it when that happens." Cupid said.

"Bernard in love, I have a hard time picturing that."

* * *

"Bernard, you're the one who told me to leave." She budded in.

"I know that, I was just trying to do what was best for you."

"By telling me to leave my home?"

"Ella, can we move on from that?"

"Move on?"

"Yes, that was a hundred years ago."

"Fine, it's done, it's over." She said taking off the necklace and held it in front of him dangling in the air. "Here."

"Keep it this time."

"No, I swore I'd never come back for a reason, I don't want to remember, so take it back…again."

"No."

She gave up and walked away.

Bernard sighed and went back to work to try and get his mind somewhere else. She on-the-other-hand went for a walk outside in the snow. While on her walk she kept staring down at the necklace she held in her hand. And she couldn't help but flashback to when she was a kid and Bernard gave it to her.

* * *

**Flashback**

A young Ella was upset while her father was gone delivering presents. She had overheard a conversation her father had about how one day the day would come that he would no longer be Santa, and it upset her because she never wanted to leave. Bernard saw her sitting on the stairs of an empty workshop wiping tears.

"Ella, what's wrong?" he asked sitting down next to her.

"Is it true that daddy wont be santa anymore?"

"Why do you ask?"

"I overheard daddy talking about it, he said one day he won't be Santa anymore."

"Well, to be honest yes that is true."

"But I don't want that to happen, I don't ever want to leave home. I wouldn't know how to fit in with normal kids. And I would miss all the elves and the reindeer and the snow, I love it here."

"Hm…come with me." he said holding his hand out and she took it. He led her to a small room in the workshop, one that she didn't know existed. "This room is very secret."

"I promise not to tell."

He grinned and led her in. Inside were shelves full of different things. He walked to a shelf and grabbed a small box. He looked at the bottom where the label was and smiled realizing it was what he was looking for. He walked over to her and knelt down, then opened the box. Inside all she saw was a snow ball, real snow, somehow it hadn't melted.

"Go ahead, blow on it."

She looked at him confused for a second until he nodded and she did blow on it. Instead of melting the snow blew away and when it was gone there was a beautiful frosted snowflake necklace. She looked at it stunned. He took it out of the box and put it on her.

"Now if you do ever have leave you can come back whenever you want."

"Really?"

"Really. And you'll have a piece of the pole with you forever, it's a snow flake and when the light hits this just right (pointing at the pearl in the middle) it shines like the northern lights in the sky."

She smiled happily and hugged him. "Thank you Bernard."

"You're welcome."

**End of flashback**

* * *

She realized she had tears in her eyes and wiped them away as she sat on a bench next to the ice.


	4. Chapter 3: Overprotective

**Chapter 3: Overprotective**

Later that night Scott finally met Ella. The meeting was over and they all wanted to see Ella. Ella was back inside standing on the steps looking over the workshop like she was analyzing it, she was just looking to see how much had changed.

"That's Ella?"

"Yes." Mother Nature said. "Ella." She called.

Ella looked over her shoulder, saw them and walked up to them. Mother Nature hugged her. "Oh, Ella, you look beautiful."

"I look the same I did a hundred years ago."

"I know. How are you?"

"Could be better, but I'm alive, thanks to somebody."

"Why would you lose your faith in Christmas?"

"I lost it the day my father died and I was forced out of the only home I knew by the people I loved."

"Let me guess, one of them being a workaholic head elf?" Scott asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about." She lied

"Ella, we told him."

"What? Why?"

"I noticed Bernard acting different since he came back, then when you showed up they figured it out and told me."

"I see. How much did you tell him?"

"Only that it was my fault." Cupid said.

"Well it was. Did you have to shoot me when only elves were around?"

"You know I don't have a choice, it just happens."

"Uhuh, well thanks for ruining my life."

"Ella don't talk like that, your life isn't ruined."

"My mother and sister are now dead, the only people who understood me and what I went through with…you-know-who, and now all I'm left with is my brother who I hardly ever see."

"Who's fault is that?" A young looking man said standing at the bottom of the stairs with a bag over his shoulder.

"Noah?" Mother Nature asked.

"HI." He said walking up the stairs.

"Noah?" Scott asked.

"My brother."

Mother Nature hugged Noah. "It is so good to see the two of you again."

"You too. But I have to ask, why are we here?" he asked his sister.

"I know why I'm here, why are you?"

"To get you."

"Get me?"

"Yeah, you went missing and I had to – " he stopped as he saw Bernard walk through the workshop. "Wait a minute, please tell me this isn't about him."

"Him has a name."

"Very funny, now answer the question."

"No." she said and tried to walk away but he grabbed her arm.

"Yes, and it better be no."

"Ok, no."

"You're lying."

She glared at him and then walked away jerking her arm out of his hand. She went straight, not downstairs. He did though.

"Hey!" he called but Bernard didn't stop. He stopped and whistled really loud. All the elves stopped and Bernard turned around and didn't like who he saw glaring at him. Noah signaled for him to come with his index finger. Bernard closed his eyes for a sec knowing he was in trouble and took a deep breath then walked over.

"What?"

"Did you bring her here?"

"No."

"Are you why she's here?"

"I don't know Noah, ok, we're busy." Bernard said and walked off in the direction he had been headed in.

Noah huffed and went to find his sister.

"This is going to be fun." Scott said sarcastically.

Noah went to his sister's old room and knocked knowing that's where she went.

"I know you're in there, open the door."

"What do you want?"

"I told you, I'm here to take you home."

She opened the door said "I am home" and closed it again. He groaned.

"This isn't our home anymore, it hasn't been for a century, now come on."

"Why are you here?" She asked frustrated opening the door again. "I haven't seen you since Christmas last year."

"Your son called me, he's worried, and frankly I'm the only one he can call."

"Well now you know where I am and you can go tell him I'm fine." She said and closed the door again.

"Ella!"

But she didn't answer him and he left. "Ugh!" he marched off to Scott's office and he was in there along with Carol and Buddy.

"Noah." Scott said surprised to see him.

"Sorry for intruding."

"It's ok."

"Who's this?" Carol asked.

"Oh right sorry, this is Noah, Noah this is my wife Carol, and our son Buddy."

"Hi, nice to meet you. Anyway, I wanted to tell you that my sister has apparently taken up her old room again."

"That's ok, no one's using it."

"I just feel like she's intruding, but I'm here to take her back home, so we'll both be gone tomorrow."

"I get the feeling she doesn't want to leave, and she feels that this is her home."

"Wrong, it's your home now, not ours."

"Well you all were born here."

"You were?" Carol asked.

"Yeah, our dad was Santa at one point, a long time ago."

"About a hundred years ago?"

"Really? And you're – you haven't aged?"

"Nope, we're like the elves in that sense. You sure you don't mind that we're here?"

"No, not a problem."

"Well then I'm going to go to bed, I just wanted to tell you."

"Thanks, I appreciate it."

"No problem." Noah said and then left and went to his old room. On his way there he ran into Bernard again. Bernard saw him coming and tried to avoid him. "Hey."

Bernard stopped and turned slowly.

"All I want to say is stay away from her, if she comes to you just walk away. And we'll be gone tomorrow and you can go on as you always do, work, work, work. Ok number one?" Then he walked into his room. Bernard sighed.

Bernard went to Scott's office.

"He doesn't like you does he?"

"You noticed?"

"Does it have anything to do with your relationship with Ella?"

He just shrugged like he didn't know.

"I know ok, Cupid fessed up about shooting her and the others filled in the blanks."

"Great."

"I'm lost." Carol said.

"Him and Ella had a thing."

"No we didn't."

"Don't lie."

"I'm not lying. We didn't because it wasn't allowed."

"What do you mean? They said her dad didn't have a problem with it."

"He didn't, no one did, but there was one problem."

"What's that?"

"There's a rule."

"A rule against elves and humans?"

"Yeah."

"Well that's not fair." Carol said.

"Tell me about it."

"So why does Noah hate you now?"

"Because I'm the one who insisted she leave after her father died. She wanted to stay and I said she didn't belong here anymore, whether I wanted her here or not didn't matter, she needed to be with her family."

"_Did_ you want her here?"

He nodded.

"Is she why you left?"

"Yeah. A couple days before I left I found out that she was dying, which can only happen once she lost all faith in Christmas. See, like us what's keeping her and her brother alive this long is the spirit of Christmas, but instead of the world's, or the kids', it's their own faith, and hse lost it."

"Poor girl."

"I just couldn't let her die, so I went to her house and gave her something to make her remember hoping it would give her her faith back, and apparently it worked. Sorry for not telling you, it was just…personal."

"We understand." Carol said.

"I still don't quite understand why Noah is being so dramatic about it, why he hates you as much as he does."

"He's just overprotective of her, he always has been. It probably doesn't help that she's all he has left, Noelle's gone too. I deserve it anyway."

"No you don't, you were doing the right thing."

"That' what I thought, but she doesn't believe that, and he thinks I could've handled it better, instead I broke her heart."

Bernard just sat there moping.


	5. Chapter 4: I'm Not Leaving

Chapter 4: I'm not leaving

In the morning Noah was up early, about as early as the elves are. Ella though wasn't, she was still sleeping, as usual. She slept a lot now because of how depressed she is. Noah snuck into her room in order to pack her things but realized she didn't have anything to pack, she had been wearing clothes the elves gave her to wear. He sat down next to her and moved her hair away from her face looking down at her lovingly, he hated being a jerk to her, but she was his baby sister, he was just trying to do what was best for her so she didn't get hurt again. Her hand came up to his grabbing it and she whimpered.

Santa, Bernard, and Curtis were in the stables with the reindeer and they were trying to help Chet fly.

"So how's Chet's training coming?" Santa asked as he walked over to Curtis.

"Well, it could be better."

"Who's training him?"

"That would be me." said a little male elf.

"Do you have any ideas?"

"I've run out of ideas, I don't know what more to do."

"Is there anyone else who can help?" Santa asked.

"I could ask around." Curtis said.

"Ok, you do that."

Curtis left to get to it.

"Any other problems?"

"No, we're ahead actually, not by a lot but enough."

"Well that's good. How you doing?"

"Santa I'm fine."

"Mhm." Well they are leaving today."

Bernard just got a fake grin on his face.

Ella woke up and Noah was still there sitting in a rocking chair next to her bed.

"Morning."

"What time is it?"

"Almost noon."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

She groaned and stretched. "Oh, I'm hungry." She said as she sat up slowly. She got up and looked in the mirror on the wall. "Ugh, that's what I get for going to bed with a wet head. Oh well." She said and put it up with the pony tail holder on her wrist. She always had one on her left wrist and her watch was on her right. "Good enough." Then she walked to the kitchen.

"Ella!" one of the girls said and rushed over to her and hugged her.

"Hi guys. Sorry if I don't remember names, it's been a long time."

"It's ok. I'm Abby."

"Hi Abby."

"What can we get you?"

"Um…surprise me."

"Ok."

She sat at the table waiting while they cooked. Soon Abby gave her a plate of French toast with powdered sugar.

"My favorite."

"I know."

"You remembered that?"

"Yep."

"Wow, you're good."

Abby smiled and went back to work.

Ella ate her late breakfast and then washed her own dishes.

"You don't have to do that."

"It's ok, I'm going to make you do it, you have enough to do."

She left to get dressed. Judy was in her room.

"Hi Judy."

"Hi Ella."

"What's up?"

"Just taking your clothes in to get washed."

"I can do it myself."

"No it's ok."

"Ok…" she said as she sat down on her stool looking into her mirror and started brushing her hair. She put it up again with a clip. Then she went to the dresser Judy had stocked for her and got dressed. She put on a long red shirt, it went just below her waist, she had a sleeveless vest on over it, it was red and gold, and she had on tan pants and her boots that had a small heel so they clicked when she walked. And of course she had her necklace around her neck.

She walked out and ran into her brother who had been waiting for her.

"About time…are those your clothes?"

"No."

"They look like something you wore."

"That would be the point."

"Well change into your own clothes and let's go."

"I'm not leaving."

"Sis, come on, we have to go."

"No we don't, they have no problem with us being here, if you want to go so badly then go, I'm staying." She said and started walking down the hallway.

"Ella, I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you, I came to take you home so let's go." He said following her.

"I'm not leaving." (still walking)

"He doesn't want you!"

She stopped stunned, turned around, walked to him, and then quickly smacked him across the face. Then she ran away.

He just stood there rubbing his cheek.

As she ran through the workshop everyone would watch her run as fast as she could crying. Carol noticed and decided to follow her. she ran all the way outside to the ice spot that she skated on when she was a kid. She sat on the bench next to it crying with her face in her hands. She was trying really hard to fight it breathing hard. Carol caught up and sat next to her.

"Ella?"

"Oh hi." She said sitting up straight wiping her face taking a deep breath.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Something happened."

"It's just my brother, I'm used to it by now."

"What'd he do?" she asked worried like he did something to her.

"He didn't do anything, it's what he said, what he always says. He is constantly reminding me about what happened. As if I need reminded."

"What's he say?"

"He gets mad about how upset I still am and he says things."

"About Bernard?"

She nodded once with her lips and jaw pressed tightly. "He says how he let me go, no made me go, and therefore he must not - never mind."

"Your brother's wrong."

"What?" she asked surprised.

"We talked to him, Bernard I mean, he was just trying to do what was right, he didn't want you to leave."

"Maybe he lied."

"He tried but we saw through it and the truth came out. Besides he did leave her to make sure you were ok, he saved you. Would he have done that if he didn't care?"

"I don't know what to think. I've been trying to convince myself for so long that leaving was the right thing to do because he never loved me and even if he did it didn't matter, there was that stupid rule. And then he does that and I see him again – " she stopped and buried her face again crying. Carol put a hand on her back.

Scott and Bernard saw Noah and his cheek was all red.

"What happened to you?" Scott asked.

"My sister."

"What happened?"

"I was trying to get her to leave and that led to an argument then my big mouth said something it shouldn't have said and she slapped me."

"Ooh, looks like she got you pretty good."

"Yeah she did."

"What'd you say?"

He looked at Bernard glaring at him for a second then looked back up at Scott. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Is she ok?"

"No, she ran off crying." He said and Bernard left. "I just get so mad because she's holding onto something that hurts her and I just want her to be happy again."

"Is there anything I can do?" Carol asked her.

"No."

"Can I get you anything?"

"No." she said but a few seconds later she looked up at the ice and a thought crossed her mind. "Actually, do you skate?"

"Not for a long time."

"Me neither, I used to spend all day on this ice, I could skate forever and I was happy. God I was good too."

"You want to?"

"You mean it?"

"Sure. I kind of miss it."

They got up and went to the workshop to get some ice skates, Ella also grabbed a CD player, and then went back to the ice. They sat on the bench to put them on then she was on the ice. The CD player sat on the bench with a CD in it, her CD, and played. She skated to the music, and to Carol it looked like she still skated every day, she was still good. Ella got lost in her own little world when she skated, and she used up the whole ice, moving around like a pro, doing things Carol could never do, so instead of skating with her she just watched in amazement as she did spins and jumps and other stunts. Soon Bernard showed up. Carol started to say something but Bernard put his finger to his lips and waved his hand to keep her quiet, he didn't want to disturb Ella. Plus, Carol noticed she had started singing along to the song. At first she was just mumbling, then her voice got louder and louder until she was fully singing it. Carol had no idea she could sing like that. The song was definitely not something the elves would listen to, it was popular with the humans, Carol didn't know it.

Rihanna: Russian Roulette

Take a breath, take it deep  
Calm yourself, he says to me  
If you play, you play for keeps  
Take a gun, and count to three  
I'm sweating now, moving slow  
No time to think, my turn to go

[Chorus]  
And you can see my heart beating  
You can see it through my chest  
And I'm terrified but I'm not leaving  
Know that I must pass this test  
So just pull the trigger

Say a prayer to yourself (they first notice her starting to sing)  
He says close your eyes  
Sometimes it helps  
And then I get a scary thought  
That he's here means he's never lost (Bernard realizes she means him)

[Chorus]  
And you can see my heart beating (she starts really singing)  
You can see it through my chest  
And I'm terrified but I'm not leaving  
Know that I must pass this test  
So just pull the trigger

As my life flashes before my eyes  
I'm wondering will I ever see another sunrise?  
So many won't get the chance to say goodbye  
But it's too late to think of the value of my life

[Chorus]  
And you can see my heart beating  
You can see it through my chest  
And I'm terrified but I'm not leaving  
Know that I must pass this test  
So just pull the trigger


	6. Chapter 5: Plan B Backup

**Chapter 5: Plan B – Backup**

Once she stop skating, which is when the song ended, she looked over and saw Bernard who had that look in his eyes, he was in a trance, everyone always was when she sang. All the elves loved her singing, she used to sing Christmas songs all day on Christmas Eve. Plus he loved watching her skate.

"Bernard." She said surprised to see him after hesitation.

"Hi."

"I'll leave you two alone."

"No, it's ok." They both said at the same time. She just waved with a grin. They both sighed as she walked away. She skated backwards and little, and just skated around with her hands behind her back, nothing special just skating keeping her feet on the ground.

"You always loved it here." He said trying to make small talk.

"It helps me clear my head."

"I know."

She stopped suddenly. "What do you want Bernard?"

"Nothing."

"You came out here for a reason."

"I saw Noah, nice handy work on his cheek."

"Thanks." She said half heartedly then started moving again.

"What'd he say?"

"Nothing." she said and then went up for an axel.

"Ella, just tell me."

"Why? It'll only make things worse." She said stopping again looking at him with her arms out.

"I want to know."

"No you don't." she said and walked to the bench and sat down to take the skates off.

He already knew it was about him. "Ella, how many times do I have to apologize before you believe me?"

She just shrugged. He walked over and sat down next to her.

"I'm sorry."

She didn't say anything just got up and started walking back to the shop. He closed his eyes and sighed knowing this was going to be harder than he thought. He got up and followed her.

"Where is my brother?" she asked Scott.

"I don't know."

"Sir, two of the reindeer are missing." Curtis said running in, he was out of breath.

"Two? Which ones?"

"Comet and Prancer."

"Noah probably took them, but why two?" Ella asked herself.

"We'll wait and see if Noah comes back with them before we search."

"I'm sure he did, those two wouldn't just take off on their own."

"How do you know?"

"I know them." She said and then walked away.

Later on Noah did return with both reindeer, and another person. They landed in the stables and Noah put both back in their stables. "Good job guys." He told them and he gave each of them a cookie.

"Where are we?" the other one asked.

"The North Pole."

"Yeah right, seriously."

"I am serious."

They walked to the workshop and once inside the other one stopped, let his bag fall off his shoulder onto the ground, his hand still on it though and said, "Oh good god." With his eyes wide and his mouth open.

Noah laughed. "Come on."

"Mom's here?"

"Yep."

"Where?"

"I don't know, we'll find her."

"Noah, you're back." Scott said.

"Hi Santa."

"Please tell me it was you who took the reindeer."

"Oh yeah, sorry. It was kind of a last minute decision."

"And who is this?" Scott asked looking at the teenage-looking boy with medium-length dark hair and blue eyes, who was just a little shorter than him. He wore a t –shirt with a long sleeve shirt underneath and jeans that were a little baggy. He had his ears pierced too Scott noticed but only one ear had an earring in it, a little gold hoop that hugged his earlobe. And around his neck was a silver chain with a locket on it, the locket was shaped like an oval with a snow flake engraved on it.

"This is Ben."

"Hi Ben." Scott said holding his hand out. "Nice locket."

"Hi. Thanks it belonged to my grandpa." He shook it. "Did you just call him Santa?" Ben asked Noah.

"Uhuh."

"This is all real?"

"Of course it's real Ben."

"Ok."

"He knows you but he doesn't believe in Santa Clause?" Scott asked Noah.

"I know, that would be my sister's doing."

"What's he mean?" Ben asked Noah.

He sighed. "See Santa isn't just one person, well it is, but the person changes. And at one point in time our father was Santa."

"You're kidding me right?"

"Afraid not."

"I'm the grandson of Santa Clause?"

"Yep."

"Grandson? He's your son?" Scott asked.

"No, he's my uncle." Ben said.

"Hey Judy, can you take him to my room?" Noah said.

"Sure Noah."

"Thanks…ok he's Ella's boy." He said once Noah was out of hearing range.

"Ella's? Who's his father?"

"Who do you think?"

"You mean her and Bernard – does he know?"

"No. She didn't find out until after we left."

"Does Ben know?"

"Nope. The only person he knows to be his dad is my sister's ex-husband, Jack."

"She was married?"

"We kind of pushed her into it, to try get to her to move on."

"Oh boy, this just got even more complicated."

"I only brought him here so that _he_ can talk her into leaving."

Noah went to join his nephew.

"This is so weird."

"I know."

"Why didn't anyone tell me?"

"Long story."

"Ok whatever."

"Come on, we gotta go find your mom."

"I have a better idea to draw her out."

"Oh really?"

* * *

They set up a piano downstairs, and everyone took a break for a performance. Scott had no problem with it because they were ahead of schedule, Bernard on the other hand did. Noah sat at the piano and started playing the song Ben had put on the stand for him, he soon realized what song it was. It was Ben's lullaby, what his mom sang to him when he was little, and it also happened to be a song their father played for them. Ben played his guitar and sang the song.

Bon Jovi: Hallelujah

I've heard there was a secret chord  
that David played, and it pleased the Lord  
But you don't really care for music, Do you?  
It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth  
The minor Fall, The major lift,  
The baffled king composing, hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah  
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Your faith was strong but you needed proof  
You saw her bathing on the roof  
Her beauty in the moonlight overthrew you  
She tied you to a kitchen chair, she broke your throne  
she cut your hair and from your lips she drew the halleujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah  
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Maybe I've been here before  
I know this room, I've walked this floor  
I used to live alone before I knew you  
I've seen your flag on the marble arch  
love is not a victory march  
it's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah  
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

There was a time you let me know  
What's real and going on below  
but now you never show it to me, do you?  
And remember when I moved in you  
the holy dove was moving too  
And every breath we drew was Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah  
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Maybe there's a God above  
And all I ever learned from love  
Was how to shoot at someone who outdrew you  
It's not a cry you can hear at night  
It's not somebody who's seen the light  
it's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah  
Hallelujah, Hallelujah  
Hallelujah, Hallelujah  
Hallelujah, Hallelujah  
Hallelujah, Hallelujah  
Hallelujah, Hallelujah…

His plan worked and she came out towards the end of the song. When he stopped singing she was standing on the steps looking down at him surprised to see him. He put his guitar on his back and walked up to her and hugged her.

"It's good to see you're ok."

"Of course I'm ok. What are you doing here?"

"Uncle Noah came and got me."

"This is your plan? Have him ask me to leave since I won't listen to you?"

"Basically."

"Not going to work. I'm not leaving." She said and grabbed her son's hand and led him outside.

"Mom, what's going on?"

"Please tell me it's just you, Belle's not here is she?"

"No…"

"Ok good."

"Mom?"

"What?"

"What's going on? And why didn't you ever tell me about this? Instead you let me believe Santa didn't exist."

"Because, I didn't want to remember."

"Not following."

"Sweetheart, when your grandfather died we had to leave the only home we knew and I was crushed, I just wanted to forget."

"Ah."

"I'm sorry."

"It's ok I understand."

"Good. I cant believe he brought you all the way here just to make me leave."

"Well, if you don't want to then we can stay a while, I want to."

"You do?"

"Yeah, if this is where you're from."

"Ok. You can tell your uncle you're on my side."

"Ok." He said like it didn't bother him and he went to tell him. she just smirked.


	7. Chapter 6: Expert Reindeer Trainer

**Chapter 6: Expert Reindeer Trainer**

A while quickly turned into weeks and now she had been there for a month. Judy had decided to just have a whole wardrobe made for her instead a couple outfits, so now her dresser was full. Noah's and Ben's too. Ben loved it there, he felt like he was finding a part of himself he didn't know existed, and a part of his mom. But, it made him wonder more and more who his father was, now that he knew this part of him from his mom he wanted to know the other part. But, he didn't ask, he gave up asking when he was a kid and his mom married Jack, who he considered his dad even though he knew he wasn't his father.

Ella was getting bored, she had been there long enough and hadn't done anything, except skate and cook every now and then. She decided to suck it up and go talk to the head elf about it. she found him making his rounds as usual.

"Ella."

"Can we talk?"

"Ok."

"Um, I was just wondering if you needed help with anything."

"Uh…I think I got it covered."

"I don't mean you personally, I know you wouldn't admit it even if you did need the help which you never do."

"Oh, hm, why do you ask?"

"I've been here for a month and I haven't done anything. I'm bored."

"You don't need to do anyting, you're a guest."

"This is me you're talking to, the daughter who actually worked, who knows this place as well as you do."

"True."

"So?"

"Ok, ok, I'll come up with something."

"Ok then." She said and kept going.

He was happy to see she was somewhat back to her old self. She was right that she knew this place as well as he did, the entire time she lived there since she was old enough to help out she did. She was always helping, especially with the reindeer. Then a thought hit him.

"Ella!" he called.

She stopped and turned.

"I have an idea."

"What is it?"

"Come with me."

He led her to the stables and he talked to the elf who was trying to train Chet.

"Hey Clay."

"Hi Bernard, Ella."

"How's it going with Chet?"

"Slow."

"Who's Chet?" Ella asked.

Bernard whistled and Chet came running, almost running them over. "This is Chet."

"Hi buddy." She said all excited and petted him. "He's adorable, you're just a baby."

"Yeah and Clay;s having trouble training him. I thought maybe with your expertise you could do it."

"Expertise?" Clay asked.

"Yeah, she's a wonderful trainer. She trained a few of the reindeer who pull the sleigh including Dasher and Cupid."

"I named Cupid."

"That too."

"Wow, you trained Dasher?"

"Yep, where is Dash?" She whistled her whistle for him. He came running over knowing that whistle better than any other, and landed in front of her and rubbed his head against her. "Hey Dash, how are you buddy?" she said hugging his neck. "I missed you." She said even though she came to see the reindeer everyday but he was her favorite. He told her he missed her too.

"Ok, I'll help you train Chet, no problem."

"Thanks." Clay said enthusiastically.

"Don't mention it, I love these guys."

"I'll leave you to it then." Bernard said and went on his way.

"Ok Dash, you're going to help me."

He nodded.

"What are you going to do?" Clay asked her.

"Have you ever tried tying him to another reindeer to run with?"

"No, he always went by himself."

"Well, if you hook him to another one and let them fly together it helps, trust me…come here Chet." She said and pulled him over behind Dash. Then she hooked them up and climbed onto Dasher. "Ready Dash?" he said yes. "Hah!" she said whipping the reigns a little. He took off with Chet behind him. Clay watched until they were no longer in sight.

They flew like that for about a half hour and she noticed Chet had a hard time staying focused but after a few minutes he fell in with Dasher and was fine. So when the half hour mark came she decided to try to fly him by himself. "Ok guys, I'm going to unhook you. But, Dash you stay right beside him." Dasher nodded. She turned around facing Chet and carefully leaned down to unhook them. Dasher carefully moved next to Chet so she could jump over to Chet. But like he was told he stayed close.

"OK Chet, let's go." She said and whipped the reigns a little and Chet took off faster. Once he did all his focus was gone again. "Focus Chet, stay focused." She told him. They were flying straight for a building and he was losing altitude. "Chet, up, go up." she told him pulling on his reigns and Dash nudged his head with his own to get him to pay attention and it worked and Chet pulled up just in time. "Thanks Dash." After that Chet stayed a little more focused. She flew with him for another half hour, so an hour total. "Ok, now the fun part, landing." She said as she brought him back towards the stables. Everyone below watched as they came in too fast. They were playing football. "Slow down Chet, slow down… Look out!" she yelled to everyone below and pulled hard on his reigns. She was able to get him to slow down enough so they didn't crash. She got him stopped on the ground. "Oh god Chet, don't do that to me again."

He apologized.

"It's ok, no one gets it perfect right away." She sighed and slowly got off. She hadn't done that in so long it made her butt sore. Clay ran over and so did everyone else including Scott.

"You ok?" Clay asked.

"Oh yeah I'm fine. We'll try again tomorrow…Good boys." She said and gave them each a cookie. And she started walking away saying "ow" with almost every step. She went straight to her bed and laid down.

"It's ok everybody." Scott said.

Noah found out and talked to Scott about it.

"So my sister's training one of the reindeer huh?"

"Looks like it, I didn't even know she could."

"Oh yeah, she's great with them. She trained Dasher."

"Really?" Scott said impressed.

"Yep, and some others. But Dasher's her favorite and he loves her to death."

"Anything else she's really good at?"

"A lot of things, she could so just about any job. When we were growing up she made a habit of helping out and working, no matter how much you told her she didn't have to she would help. That's how she got so close to him. Anyway, she spent most of her time either with the reindeer or in the kitchen."

"Ah."

"What about you?"

"Nah, I was more like dad's helper, making sure everything ran smoothly. If he was busy I would go check it out for him, that sort of thing. I guess you could say I did Bernard's job."

"Why?"

"Well, he did it, I just double checked."

"Uhuh."

* * *

When Bernard had some time he went to see Ella. Over the past two weeks or so they had warmed up to each other better, but there was still that wedge between them, and Noah. He knocked on her door.

"Come in." she said still laying on her bed with her eyes closed.

"Ella?"

She opened her eyes and looked over. "Bernard?"

"Sorry to intrude."

"It's ok. Something wrong?"

"No."

"Then what's up?"

"I just wanted to see if you were ok? I heard about the rough landing with Chet."

"Oh, I'm ok. I've had worse."

"Yeah." He said with a little laugh, he remembered some of the crash landings she had, one was bad enough that she had to jump off before they hit the ground and she broke an arm.

"What?"

"Oh nothing, I was thinking about the time you broke your arm."

"Oh, yeah, that was bad. Dad was not happy about that one, he told me I was reckless and he got mad at you for letting me fly by myself."

He smirked. "Um, you want to go somewhere?"

She looked at her confused and a little surprised.

"Stupid question."

"No, no, I'll go."

"You sure?"

"Yeah." She slipped off the bed. "Ah." She whispered, she was still sore from riding.

"You ok?"

"I will be, it's just been a long time since I've been on a reindeer."

He smirked and opened the door for her and motioned his free hand for her to go ahead.

"Thanks."

Then he followed her closing the door behind them.

"So where are we going?"

"You'll see."


	8. Chapter 7: Reconciliation

**Chapter 7: Reconciliation**

They walked to Bernard's house. She was always surprised that he lived here; you would think he'd just live in the workshop to make it easier, but he didn't. He would if he could but no one would let him. He took her coat and hung it up for her.

"Why did you bring me here?"

"To talk."

"We couldn't have talked there?"

"Not without interruptions."

She tried not to think about the memories, it was painful, but she was sure it was painful for him too.

"What do you want to talk about?"

"You know the answer to that."

She didn't say anything.

"Ella, you've been here for a month and I still don't think you believe me."

"Bernard please, can we talk about anything else?"

"No, you came here."

"Not for this. I just came here to give you the necklace back…again."

"Then why are you still here?"

"You didn't take it back."

"Is that all you're waiting for, for me to take it back? And then you'll leave like Noah wants?"

She just crossed her arms.

"Ella, tell me the truth, why won't you leave like he wants? What's keeping you here?"

"You have to ask?" she mumbled.

"Why?"

"Because, I don't want to make the same mistake twice."

"What do you mean?"

She looked at him like are you kidding me. "Bernard, I love you, and I'm not leaving until I get and explanation."

"Explanation for what?"

"Why you made me leave."

He sighed and he sat down in a recliner.

"Well?"

"I told you I was just trying to do the right thing."

"You realize what that felt like? I thought you wanted me to leave because you didn't care."

"You did?" he asked like it hurt.

"Yes. Why do you think Noah hates you so much, because I was heartbroken." She said now standing in front of him as she sat in the chair with her arms crossed.

"Ella, I didn't want to hurt you, I just wanted you to have a chance at a normal life." He said scooting forward in the chair with his elbows on his knees and he looked down at the ground ashamed.

"Normal?" she asked and squatted down to look him in the face. "I can't do normal. I was born in the North Pole, my father was Santa Clause and to top it off I fell in love with an elf."

"I really am sorry." He said and placed a hand on her cheek. She leaned into it and a tear fell as she squeezed her eyes shut.

"Did you want me to leave?"

"No."

"Then why didn't you say so?"

"I wanted to ask you to stay and I knew if I asked you to you would for me, but I had to put your family first. So I pretended like it didn't bother me so that you would go. I thought I could live with you hating me and being happy with your family and some human rather than you here with me trying to have something that we can't have."

"I was married." She said leaning back to sit down on the floor.

"You were?"

"Yeah. His name was Jack, my brother and sister kind of made me marry him. I mean he was a good man and everything and I guess I did love him but he wasn't what I wanted. That's why even though I settled down I didn't age like Noelle did once she got married and had a family."

"What happened?"

"He was a cowboy, and it got him killed. The day before, when he left to go to the rodeo, we got in a fight and I was so mad that I told him I didn't even care if he never came back." (Yes I got that from a Garth Brooks Song, Beaches of Cheyenne.)

"I'm sorry."

"It's ok. I'm not as upset about it as I used to be. I do miss him a little, and so do the kids."

"Kids?"

She squeezed her eyes shut and curled her lips in knowing she said something she shouldn't have. "Uh…I have two kids."

He nodded once with his mouth wide open surprised.

"Ben and Belle."

"You have a daughter too?"

"Mhm."

"Oh."

"Sorry, I didn't want to bring them up."

"No, it's ok."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. I mean that's why I let you leave so you could live a normal life, I knew you would get married and have a family, that's what people do."

"But, you hoped I wouldn't."

"It didn't matter what I wanted."

"Yes it did, because it's what I wanted. It's what I still want." She said loudly.

"Ella – "

"Do you love me?"

He just looked at her begging her not to do this to them.

"Please, tell me the truth."

He hated it when she did this, when she begged, because he couldn't say no. "Yes." He whispered.

"Then what's wrong?"

"There are rules."

"For once in your life can't you just say screw the rules? Who made that rule anyway?"

"Ella we can't."

"Bernard, I love you, and I lost you once, please don't ask me to go through that again, I won't survive it this time." She said sitting on her knees close to him putting her hands on his cheeks.

"Don't say that." he said closing his eyes.

"It's the truth, it nearly killed me last time, and it's why I lost my faith in Christmas. If you do this to me again I will die." She put her forehead to his.

"Stop, I can't bear the thought of you dying, why do you think I left to make sure it didn't happen?" he removed her hands from his face keeping his eyes closed so he didn't have to see her face.

"Then don't push me away again." She said lifting his face again. He finally opened his eyes to look at her. Her eyes were watering, she wanted to cry, so did he and she noticed. "Please." She begged almost breaking. "Tell me what _you_ want."

"I do want you Ella, I have for a long time but – "

She stood up frustrated and stood in the middle of the room. "But what?! Why can't you be selfish for once in your life?! That rule is nonsense and you know it! No one cares!" She yelled with her arms out. She finally broke and he got up and pulled her to him hugging her.

"I love you." He whispered to her running his fingers through her hair, his other arm was around her waist holding her tight and he didn't want to let her go again. She rested her head against his chest just under his neck; her arms were pressed in between them against her chest. He felt tears falling down his cheeks too. After a couple minutes she looked up at him.

"Kiss me." she whispered.

After a pause he did, he leaned his head down closing the distance between their lips and pressed his to hers squeezing his eyes shut feeling his heart pounding, he knew it would break again if he let her go, so he finally decided he wasn't going to. His hand came down from her hair to her cheek caressing it as he kissed her. Her hands made their way up from between them and snaked around his neck, one went to the back of his neck caressing it and pushing him closer. The kisses didn't last very long but it felt like it because it'd been so long since their last kiss, which was that last Christmas Eve night after her father left. That night they had done a lot more than kiss, they had made love for the first time and then she went to sleep and he went back to the workshop to wait for Santa to come back but he never did.

"Ella." He whispered once their lips were free again.

"Hm?" she asked still recovering from the intensity.

He decided to wait and kissed her again. She moaned surprised. She wondered what he was going to say but knew he'd tell her later once they could pull themselves apart again, but they didn't want to, not yet. All he could think about was losing her again which drove him forward. She knew where this was headed, and she didn't care, she wanted it to happen, he was all she wanted, no one else. It made her think of Ben though, considering this is how he came to be, which reminded her she needed to tell Bernard the truth, that Ben wasn't Jack's son, he was his. She'd tell him in the morning.


	9. Chapter 8: Benjamin Bernard

**Chapter 8: Benjamin Bernard Amnore**

In the morning she woke up alone, which didn't surprise her but there was a note next to her with a frosted white rose, her favorite. Of course he remembered.

_Sorry I'm not there, if I could stay in bed all day with you I would, but have to work. I hope you like the flower, I know it's your favorite; it's one of a kind like you. I love you._

_Yours, _

_Bernard_

She just rolled over to where he had been and fell back to sleep with the note and the flower above her head on the pillow. He got away a couple hours later since he hadn't seen her around yet and snuck to his house and sure enough she was still in bed. He smirked and sat next to her on the bed, leaned down and kissed her cheek then caressed it with his finger. She looked over her shoulder at him, grinned and slowly sat up.

"What time is it?"

"About ten."

"That's early."

He grinned laughing at her.

"I guess I should get up, I have a job to do too."

"You do?" he asked.

"Chet." She said.

"Oh, right, I knew that." he said, he couldn't believe he forgot after what happened.

She leaned and put her head on his shoulder. He rested his chin on her head. "I'm not awake yet."

"I see that."

"How do you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Stay up late working and then get up at the crack of dawn to back at it."

"I'm used to it; I've done it for as long as I can remember."

"How'd you get away?"

"We're still ahead of schedule so it's no big deal."

"Watch something go wrong while you're away."

"Please don't say that."

She just laughed. "Ok, I need to get moving."

He stood up and stood her up with him. She put her clothes back on, she wasn't naked she still had on her bra and underwear. Once she was dressed they walked back to the workshop. Sure enough while he was gone a machine had gone bonkers and there was stuff flying all over the place.

"What happened?" he asked more surprised than mad.

"We don't know, it won't stop." one of the elves said.

"Curtis, what happened?" he asked more angrily.

"I don't know."

"Does anybody know what happened?"

* * *

Upstairs she went to take a shower and get fresh clothes. Then she made her way over to Ben's room. She sat down next to him. He was lying on his stomach with his face facing her and moved his dark hair out of his face so she could actually see his face. It woke him up.

"Mom?"

"Hey."

"What time is it?"

"Too early for you."

He groaned and turned his head to go back to sleep. She stood up and moved his guitar from off his bed and set it up against the wall. She also picked up his stuff making the room look a little better.

"Stop cleaning." He said with his face buried in the mattress, so his voice was muffled.

"Go back to sleep." She told him and left headed for the stables. "Ok, Chet, let's try this again."

He got all excited and she got him ready.

"Look what I got." She said holding a handful of cookies.

He got even more excited jumping up and down.

"Now, if you do good, I'll give them to you."

He started saying "ok, ok, ok."

"K, let's go."

She climbed on and he took off.

She flew for an hour again. He did better staying focused but she had a hard time getting him to go the way she wanted him to go. At least he could stay in the air rather than before where he'd be up and then fall down. But she still had to try to land again. Except this time he fell and she had to jump. She jumped from a few feet above the ground. They all ducked as they dropped and then he went up again, but soon he fell, that's when she jumped. She hit the ground and rolled and just laid there for a minute. "Ow."

Everyone ran over.

"Ella, are you ok?"

"Dandy." She said raising her arm and giving a thumbs-up. "I'm just going to lay here for a minute."

They had the doctor come over and check her out to make sure she didn't break anything, again.

"I promise I'm ok." She told him and slowly got up. "Ow, oh, that hurt." She stood. "That's going to leave a bruise, or several."

She walked into the workshop and they had everything under control again. Bernard saw her walk in holding her back and it was obvious she was in pain.

"Ella what happened? You're hurt. Are you ok?"

"Chill, I'm fine, just Chet fell and I jumped off. At least nothing broke this time, I don't think."

"You sure you're ok?"

"Yes I'm fine."

"Is Chet ok?"

"Yep, we're both good." She said and she twisted a little trying to stretch but it hurt. "Ow."

"Ella, maybe you should go lay down."

"Bernard, stop you sound like Noah, I'll be fine ok. I'll just have a few huge bruises all over my body."

Her brother came down after hearing what happened and rushed to her.

"Speaking of." she said as she saw Noah coming.

"Ella, thank god you're ok." He said and he hugged her.

"Ow, ow, no hugs, that hurts."

He let her go. "Sorry."

"Ella, go see the doctor." Bernard told her. Noah gave him a look, it'd been this long and he still didn't like him any better.

"I did."

"Really?" he asked not believing her.

"I saw him after I crashed."

"But did you let him make sure you were ok?"

"Not exactly."

"Ella, go." Bernard ordered.

"Fine, I'm going. Jeez, bossy."

"It's what I do."

She headed out and he looked up at Noah seeing the dirty look. "What?"

"I'm watching you." He warned and then left.

All Bernard thought was thank god he didn't know what happened last night, Noah would kill him.

* * *

After the doctor checked her out she went to see Ben who was out and about by now. She had something to tell him, she was nervous about telling him and Bernard but she knew it had to be done.

Ben was in the music room, which he just discovered earlier that day, laying down singing along to Christmas songs with a baseball mitt in one hand and tossing the ball up in the air and catching it.

"Ben."

He didn't hear her.

"Benjamin!"

He jumped opening his eyes and saw his mother. He sat up and paused the loud music. "Mom? What's up?"

"We need to talk."

"About?"

"Your father."

"Oh now you want to talk about it?"

"Yes."

"Why now?"

"Because I feel better talking about it now, where before it upset me too much to even think about it."

"Ok. Who is he?"

She sighed; she had dreaded this conversation for so long. "Well…see, while my dad was still Santa – you know Cupid (he nodded) he shot me and I fell in love with your father."

"I still can't believe all these people are real, even now that I've met them all."

"Yeah, I've known them all my life so it was never weird for me but I can imagine."

"Ok so who is he?"

"Well, this is the weird part, and why I never told you, do you see any other humans around here?"

"Uh…no." he said and it took a minute for it to sink in. "that means he's – (he jumped up standing) I'm an elf?!"

"Not technically, because I'm not, if I was one too you would be, but I'm not so you're not."

"Oh my god." He said putting his hand on his forehead.

"I'm sorry honey, this is why I was afraid to tell you, I didn't even know if you'd believe me, but now that you're here and you see that they obviously exist."

"I get it, it's just – oh lord."

She waited for him to recover.

"Who is he?"

"What's your middle name?"

"Bernard."

"There's your answer."

"Bernard?....wait, isn't that the – "

She nodded.

"Him?!"

"Yep."

He just stood there looking at her wide eyed. "That's why Uncle Noah hates him and gives him a hard time?"

"Pretty much."

"Does he know?"

"About you? No. I didn't know until after I left, so there's no way he would've."

"Are you going to tell him?"

"Of course I'm going to tell him."

"When?"

"Tonight after he's done working."

"Ok. I'm going to go take a walk."

"Ok."

* * *

Downstairs she could hear the workshop shutting down and she waited in her room. A little while later Bernard came knocking.

"Come in."

"Hi."

"Hi."

"What's the matter?"

"I need to tell you something."

"Ok." He walked over and sat down next to her. "What is it?"

"It's Ben."

"Ben?"

"I lied to you."

"What do you mean? He's not your son?"

"No he's mine, but Jack wasn't his father. I mean in Ben's mind he always saw Jack as his dad but he wasn't. I hadn't even met Jack yet when Ben was born."

It didn't take long for it to click in Bernard's head and his mouth opened and his eyes went wide once he realized what she was implying. "You mean he's – "

"Yeah."

Bernard stood up and walked away from the bed a little with his hand over his mouth. She walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around him from behind him and rested her head against his back.

"I am so sorry." She whispered. "I didn't even find out until after I left."

"Why'd you tell me he was Jack's?"

"I don't know, I was afraid to tell you."

"After everything that happened last night you were afraid to tell me?" he asked her turning to face her with a confused look on his face.

"I didn't know how to tell you. We had enough to work through telling you about him would've only made it worse. I'm sorry."

"And your daughter?"

"_She_ is Jack's."

He nodded.

"I really am sorry, I didn't even tell him until earlier today. The only ones who knew were mother and my brother and sister."

He took a deep breath and hugged her carefully so he didn't hurt her. "It's ok." He told her and he kissed her forehead. "How'd he take it?"

"He was a little freaked out."

Bernard chuckled a little amused imagining what he would think about having an elf for a father.

"I'm so sorry."

"Stop apologizing."

"K."

"How do you feel?"

"Still sore."

"Then lay down." He led her to the bed, pulled the covers back and made her lay down then covered her up and knelt down beside the bed when she pulled him down. Then she pulled him down for a kiss. But he stopped before she got too serious.

"Not tonight. You're hurt, you need to relax and sleep." He said and then kissed her forehead and stood up. But she grabbed his arm and he turned to look at her.

"Stay, please."

He gave in as always and laid down next to her on top of the covers after taking off his shoes and he held her until she fell asleep. As soon as she was out he snuck out.


	10. Chapter 9: To Follow the Rules or Not

**Chapter 9: To follow the rules or to not?**

Scott had noticed the change in Bernard's behavior, his mind wasn't on work all the time anymore, in fact he couldn't wait to be done working so that he could be with Ella. Ella was still busy training Chet. Ben didn't do much except entertain and play sports. He was always an athlete, he played football with the elves and soccer, his two favorite sports.

"Bernard." Scott said as Bernard walked by.

"Yeah?" Bernard said stopping.

"Is it just me or are you and Ella acting different?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're acting like you're – you know – together."

He sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Well are you?"

"No."

"No? Why not?"

Noah was coming. "Later." Bernard told him quietly so that Noah wouldn't hear him. Then he walked off.

Ben was outside training by playing soccer. He had an audience too. The elves had made and put up a soccer net for him just outside of the town, over by where the ice was. But, they put it a little too close. The ball went on the ice and he walked onto the ice to get it. He didn't think anything of it knowing his mom skated on it and it was so cold. So he walked to the ball and picked it up. Once he took one step to go back the ice cracked and broke underneath him. Ben fell through the ice.

"Ben!" the elves yelled who were with him. they took off heading to the workshop.

"Ella!" they screamed inside the workshop. Scott could see they were distressed.

"Whoa, whoa, what's wrong?"

"Ben fell through the ice." One of them said breathless.

They all ran to the ice. The fire elves dealt with the problem and pulled him out. Scott carried him, he was unconscious, and took him inside. The doctor came to take care of him as well as Ella.

"Ben, on my god." She said rushing to his side as Scott laid him down on a blanket. "I know what to do, go."

She knew she had to take his wet clothes off to get him warm. Considering she was his mother, the person who changed his diapers when he was a baby and had obviously seen him naked before she didn't think he would mind _that _much. She got his clothes off and wrapped the blanket around him and put him by the fire. She stayed sitting behind him and he rested against her. She tried not to cry or get worried.

"You're going to be fine." She whispered in his ear.

Bernard heard the news and came as soon as he could.

"Ella, what happened?" he asked worried kneeling down next to her and Ben.

"He fell through the ice."

"That ice hasn't broken in hundreds of years, how'd it break now?"

"I don't know." She said and her worrying was getting to her and she started to cry.

"Please don't cry, he'll be ok."

She put her head down on her son's crying. Bernard stayed until Ben woke up. Ben started groaning in discomfort.

"Ben, honey."

"Mom?" he said slowly with his teeth chattering. "God, it's cold."

"How do you feel?"

"Cold, didn't I just say that?"

"Well his attitude's fine." She said which made her feel a little better.

"Very funny."

"Can you feel everything?"

"Uh…I think so."

"I think he's safe from frostbite." Bernard said.

"Why do you say that?"

"They got him out and here pretty quickly."

"I've fallen through ice before mom it's no big deal."

"It's colder up here than it is there."

"So."

She sighed. "Can you sit up?"

He did. She got up and grabbed more blankets.

"I think I'm good." He told her.

"I still cant believe that ice broke. It just rubs me the wrong way, something's not right I know it."

"We'll get somewhere to investigate it if it'll make you feel better." Bernard told her.

"It doesn't seem strange to you?"

"No it does, because it's always been frozen over, no ice around here ever breaks."

"Then by all means have it checked out."

"Ok." Bernard said and got up to go do just that.

"Mom, I'm ok, you can calm down."

"I don't think so, I'm your mother it's what I do."

"Like I said, this isn't the first time."

"I know, but still. Plus I know what it's like because I've done it."

"You have?"

"Yeah."

"When?"

"You were little, only a couple years old."

"Oh. I wish I could stop shivering, it's annoying."

"You will once you warm up."

"Maybe some hot chocolate would help."

"Ok, I'll go get you some."

On her way to the kitchen she ran into Bernard.

"I got them checking it out."

"Good."

"I'm surprised you left him alone."

"He wants hot chocolate."

"Ah."

He went with her to the kitchen to get it. While Judy made it she talked to him.

"Bernard."

"Hm?"

"Can we talk later?"

"When is later?"

"After shut down."

"Ok."

"K." she said as Judy handed her the hot chocolate and then she left with it.

"Here honey, careful."

"Yes mommy." He said mocking her.

"Not funny."

"Well stop being a mother hen."

"Oh hush."

He just smirked and drank his hot chocolate quietly.

Later on that night Bernard went to see Ella after he made sure everything was shut down. Ben was fine and was in bed already passed out.

"Ok now what?"

"Don't." she said pointing a finger at him annoyed.

"What?"

"Forget it. Look, we need to figure this out now, we should've figured it out the night we – "

"Figure what out Ella?"

"What we're going to do. Actually what you're going to do."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean is this going to end like it did last time? Are you going to push me away again because of some rule? Or are you going to go against it?"

He sighed.

"Well?"

"You know I want to."

"Then do it."

"Ella."

"Why is this so hard for you? It's just some stupid supposed rule that some yahoo made who knows when and who knows why, and he or she was obviously a moron who didn't know anything. It's not like it's a law with consequences, nobody cares. So why do you?"

"I don't know."

"Just tell me now; do you want to be with me or not?"

"Of course I do." he said walking to her and he put his hand on her cheek.

"Then be with me."

He smirked and kissed her once then rested his forehead against hers. "Ok."

She smiled big and hugged him.

"I'm never letting you go again." He whispered and pulled her to him for a kiss.

That night they spent together just like they did at his house. She was happy now, and complete, so was he. He didn't realize how empty he was without her until he had her back. Now, the fun part was telling her brother that she was with Bernard and she wasn't going to give him up this time, no matter what he thought of him. But Bernard was determined to prove himself to Noah, which he knew wasn't going to be easy. But that was for tomorrow, tonight was about them being happy.


	11. Chapter 10: Secret Revealed

Chapter 10: Secret Revealed

For the first time in his life Bernard wasn't there at the crack of dawn, well technically he was, but he wasn't working, he was still in bed and he didn't care. He was awake as usual but he didn't get up, he just laid there looking at Ella. But the feeling of being watched woke her up.

"Good morning." He said quietly as she opened her eyes.

"You're still here?"

"I didn't want to leave yet, there's no need to be in the workshop yet anyway."

She smiled and pulled him down for a kiss.

"We need to tell Noah." She told him.

"I know."

"I'm kind of worried about how he'll react."

"I'll do whatever I have to to make him trust me again."

"I know you will, but I don't want you to have to. I'll talk to him first, I can make him listen. If you talk to him right away he'll just get angry. So let me talk to him first."

"Ok."

"I love you."

"I love you too." He said and then kissed her.

"You should go, you know you want to."

"I'd rather stay right where I am."

"So would I, but we both have work to do. I am determined to get Chet trained, he's been quite the challenge, but I will have it done."

"I know you will. Alright, let's go."

"Ok."

Bernard walked down to the workshop and ran into Curtis.

"You're later than usual." Curtis said, he was suspicious as to why.

Bernard just rolled his eyes and kept going. Curtis went to see Scott.

"Santa, he's here."

"He seem ok?"

"Yeah, but he didn't say anything."

"Is Ella working?"

"I don't know."

"Well go look. If she is see if she'll tell you anything."

"Yes sir." Curtis said like he was excited, which he was. He was curious and wanted to know and he'd be happy for Bernard if it were true.

"Scott." Carol said once Curtis was gone. She didn't like them butting into this.

"I just want to know."

"Why cant you just wait for them to tell us on their own?"

"Because I cant stand the secretive behavior, the vague answers."

"I don't like you butting in. maybe they want it to be secret, they don't want certain people to know."

"So the word doesn't get to Noah right?"

"Maybe."

"I wouldn't tell him."

* * *

"Good morning Ella." Curtis said walking into the stables. Ella was brushing Dasher as he ate something out of her hand.

"You know we do have elves who take care of them."

"I know, I just like being with them." She said and it made Dasher happy.

"So, you're here earlier than usual."

"I know, I wanted to."

"And Bernard's never here this late."

She stopped brushing Dasher and looked at him knowing where he was going with this.

"Curtis…"

"Sorry. You just have everyone curious."

"Everyone?"

"Well, mostly Santa and myself."

"That's what I thought."

"Just a yes or no."

"I'm not telling you anything."

He gave her a dirty look and walked off. She just smirked. A little while later Noah showed up.

"Ok, so I've heard a rumor."

"A rumor?"

"Apparently Bernard has been hm, distracted and frankly just not himself."

"Really? He seems fine to me."

"Oh don't play innocent Ella."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh yes you do. why is he oh so distracted?"

"He's not."

"Word is he was later than usual this morning."

"People talk Noah, it doesn't mean anything."

"I think it does."

She put the reindeer back in his stable.

"Ella, just tell me the truth for once."

"I don't know what you're talking about." She said slowly.

"You and Bernard."

"What about me and Bernard?"

"Are you with him again?"

"And if I am? What are you going to do about it?"

"I knew it…why?"

"Because I love him."

"But he doesn't love you! Didn't he make that obvious a hundred years ago?"

"You're wrong."

"Oh really?"

"Yes."

"Prove it."

"If he tells you himself will you listen?"

"Ella – "

"Will you?"

"Ok, if he comes to me to talk I will listen."

* * *

At the end of the day Ella went straight to Bernard.

"Hey." She said walking into Scott's office.

"Hi Ella." Carol said.

"Ok, you all want to know, and you wont stop until you get an answer so here it is." She said and Bernard just looked at her shocked. "Yes."

Scott got a surprised happy look on his face and put his arm around Bernard's shoulders. "Congratulations."

"Bernard." She said to get his attention.

"Yeah?"

"I talked to Noah."

"Oh." He said a little worried.

"He's willing to listen."

"He is?"

"Yeah."

"Oh boy, this is going to be fun."

"Don't worry, I'll keep him in line I promise. Come on."

Scott let him go. "Good luck."

They left together and went to her room where Noah was waiting. Noah for once didn't look at Bernard like he was angry with him.

"Noah."

"Bernard."

"Ok, I agreed to listen so I'm listening."

"I know you have her best interest in mind and you're just looking out for her and I realize I hurt her but I promise I wont do it again. I love her."

"Why'd you do it?"

"I thought she'd be better off with her family rather than me."

"But you kept tabs on her all these years didn't you?"

"I would look in on her every few Christmases."

"I see. You couldn't have let her down a little more gently?"

"I knew I had to lie and pretend I didn't love her in order for her to leave, if I showed any sign that I wanted her to stay she would."

"That's true."

"I've regretted it since I said it, because I didn't want to do it."

"Ok, look I will step aside in order to make her happy, just make sure you don't hurt her again."

"I wont."

Noah kissed his sister's forehead hugging her and then left. Very happily she hugged Bernard and kissed him.

"That went so much better than I thought it would." He told her.

"Me too."

"I love you."

"I love you too." She said and then he kissed her again holding her close.


End file.
